The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

73

Chapter Seventy-three

Yan Li was living in Su Yuyang’s house again. This didn’t inconvenience Ling Miao, although there was one thing he did have a very strong objection to. But he had no other choice—he had to listen to Yan Li’s instructions.

“Xiao Miao~” Yan Li shouted, dragging out his name. Her indolent tone gave Ling Miao goosebumps.

Ling Miao put down the work in his hands and rushed to Yan Li’s room. He picked up the card Yan Li had put on the desk, then turned without another word and walked out.

Every day, Ling Miao had to go to the florist, personally select flowers, attach Yan Li’s handwritten card, then finally have the florist send them to Ji Linxi. If Ling Miao showed even a sliver of resistance, Yan Li would hold Ling Miao’s secret over his head—that Ling Miao had feelings for Su Yuyang.

At first, Ling Miao had suggested just telling the florist what to write on a card and leaving the flower selection to them, but Yan Li didn’t agree; she said she had to write the card herself in order for it to be meaningful, and the flowers needed to be personally curated in order to show sincerity. So she had to trouble Ling Miao to do leg-breaking work every day.

Now that the Dragon Boat Festival had passed, Ji Linxi returned to his everyday rhythm of shuttling between two points: work and home. But on his first day back at work, his peaceful cycle was interrupted by a bouquet of flowers.

When he got the call from the flower delivery guy, he initially thought someone had gotten the address wrong. Then he saw the signature on the card and he understood—the flowers were from Yan Li.

Ji Linxi couldn’t understand why Yan Li would send the flowers to his office. If Hu Lin saw this, he would torment Ji Linxi to death.

Ji Linxi had left the office empty-handed but come back with a big bouquet of roses. The whole office stared at him curiously. Ji Linxi didn’t want to explain too much; he returned to his seat, put the flowers on the floor, and continued working. Several minutes later he got a call from Ling Miao, and what Ling Miao said confirmed that the flowers were from Yan Li. Ling Miao also told Ji Linxi that Yan Li would send him flowers every day. If not for fear of being recognized, she’d even deliver them herself. At this point, Ji Linxi was bathed in cold sweat.

“So, you’re her accomplice now?” Ji Linxi said thoughtfully.

Ling Miao felt his character had been insulted. He said angrily, “I’m not an accomplice! She’s my boss! I can’t not listen to her, can I?”

“Profit over friends, eh? Ling Miao, I’ll tell Su Yuyang that you like him!” Ji Linxi said slyly.

Ling Miao got flustered and his tone grew dismal: “Ah, you and Yan Li really are a match. Without discussing it, you’re both using the fact that I like Su Yuyang to threaten me.”

Black lines slid down Ji Linxi’s face. He asked suspiciously: “You’re saying she’s using the same thing to threaten you?”

“If not, why would I be so obedient?” Ling Miao said aggrievedly.

Ji Linxi said, half-believing: “Ah, so that’s why! Ling Miao, I say, you might as well confess to Su Yuyang. Then I’ll have an easier time of it, too.”

“No!” Ling Miao summarily rejected Ji Linxi’s suggestion. “You’ll have an easier time of it, but I won’t. If I confess to Su Yuyang but he doesn’t like me back, how will I stay at his place? What I’m waiting for now is for Su Yuyang to fall for me. In any case, I’m going to stick to his side. I believe love will grow over time between us!” Ling Miao’s attitude was resolute, and Ji Linxi knew it was futile to try to persuade Ling Miao otherwise. But the moment he thought about Yan Li sending him flowers every day, his head started hurting. This was even worse than editing drafts.